Beautiful Words
by BeautifulUnseen
Summary: Blaine and Kurt never knew raising a toddler could be so difficult. A peek into their journey that's much more than words. One shot. Futurefic. Daddies!Klaine


_**Beautiful Words**_

According to her fathers, Charlie was the cutest, smartest, funniest, most beautiful two-year-old girl on the planet. She was a cheerful little one who brought joy to everyone around her with her sweet giggle and heart-melting golden eyes. Every last person she met adored her from her dark brown curls right down to her tiny blue ballet flats.

Charlie was always impeccably dressed (Kurt Hummel-Anderson would never let a child of his leave the house looking any less than perfectly adorable), and she seemed to have inherited her father's sense of style already at her young age. Strangers in stores and on the street never failed to stop Kurt and Blaine to let them know how cute they found her.

Though she was biologically Blaine's child (they had decided on a surrogate after many late night sessions making pros and cons lists), CHarlie's personality was the perfect mixture of both of her fathers.

Charlie Anne Hummel-Anderson (Anne after her biological mother, whom Kurt and Blaine had grown close to throughout the pregnancy) was perfect in her fathers' eyes. Yes, she was the star of her tiny tots tumbling class, she could recognize all of her colors already, and she learned how to swim after only one lesson. Charlie could do everything. Everything except talk.

Blaine and Kurt had always thought that Charlie was a quiet child, but they figured her speech would come along on its own time.

One day, a visit to the park changed all of that.

As a Broadway star, Kurt rarely had time off, but on the days that he did, he made it a priority to spend time with his perfect little family. Kurt loved his husband more than words could describe, and the only person who could give Blaine a run for his money was their little girl.

Today, with Charlie attached to their hands and swinging between them, Kurt and Blaine walked down the sidewalk through the chilly fall air, laughing and skipping as they went.

As soon as they stepped foot in the park, Charlie immediately located another little girl her age and made a beeline for her. Charlie was such a personable child, always eager to meet new people, much like Blaine, so this was typical behavior for her. The two girls started playing together easily, as if they had always been friends, and Kurt and Blaine watched fondly from their place on a bench nearby.

Kurt was in the middle of telling Blaine about a crazy fan he had met at the stage door the previous night when he heard Charlie's new friend calling out to them.

"Hey! Hey! Look over here!" She waved her hands and pointed to Charlie, who was atop the biggest slide on the playground, preparing to go down. Charlie gave her best million-watt smile when she saw her parents looking, and pushed off, coasting down the slide with a jubilant shriek. She flew down the chute and plopped out the other side right onto her adorable butt with a _thump!_

Before her dads had the chance to panic, Charlie thrust her hands up in the air and giggled hysterically.

With a relieved laugh, Blaine turned to Kurt and said, "our little daredevil!" before giving Kurt a fleeting kiss and pulling him to his feet. "Let's go see if she's ready for some ice cream."

They made their way over to where the two girls were playing, and the other little girl approached them.

"Hi! Is you her daddies? We haved so much fun playing with the sandbox and the slide and the swings and the 'seed-saw.' Can we play 'gain 'nother time? My name is Olivia. What her name? Why she not say any words? What wrong with her? Is she a baby?"

Kurt sent a shocked look at Blaine, who squeezed his hand too tightly and picked up Charlie with his free arm.

A flustered looking woman hurried up to them then, taking hold of Olivia's hand.

"I am so sorry," she apologized to Kurt and Blaine for her child. "Toddlers have no filter. She doesn't know that was rude of her to say."

Kurt was, appropriately, rendered speechless. Blaine stepped up and introduced them to the woman.

"Don't worry about it. Kids say whatever comes to mind. Your daughter is very well-spoken," Blaine told her carefully. "Is that normal for a two year old? Forgive us, we're first time parents. We're not exactly sure what to expect."

"Olivia is actually two and a half," the mother explained. "But you're asking the right person. I work for the Early Intervention Program here in New York. We can come to your home to evaluate your daughter and let you know if her skills are behind or not. Then if she qualifies for services, we get you set up with a service coordinator who will help you teach her the skills she needs. It's all free of charge. Here," she dug around in her purse for something, then produced a brightly colored business card. "Call me if you want to make a referral to get her started or if you have any questions." Then her smile softened. "She's a beautiful little girl, by the way. I was watching these two play together and your daughter is so kind and plays so well with others. You've done a great job raising her."

Kurt, still dumbfounded, thanked the woman and shook her hand, assuring her that they would call if they needed anything.

On the way home, Kurt and Blaine dropped Charlie off at Aunt Rachel's house so they could have a few hours alone.

* * *

"I didn't ever really consider that Charlie could be behind...I just thought she was quieter than other kids. She's so smart, and so good at everything else…" Kurt curled up into Blaine's side on their favorite - if not overly loved - chair and a half.

Blaine chewed on his lip, heart filled with worry. As a stay-at-home dad, he had had more time to consider it. "I've wondered for a while. When we go to storytime or the play groups, the other kids talk circles around her. I mean...she doesn't even say Daddy or Papa. Kurt-" Blaine cut off, overcome with emotion.

Kurt's head snapped up to see Blaine furiously blinking back tears. He kissed his husband's face tenderly. "Blaine, how long have you felt like this?"

Blaine's guilty look said it all.

"Why didn't you ever talk about it with me?" Kurt's voice was gentle and non accusatory, his fingers toying with the short hairs at the back of Blaine's neck.

"I didn't want to worry you. You're always so stressed out with work, and home has always been the place you could relax and unwind. I didn't want to take that away from you. I'm just so...why can't she talk? And why aren't we good enough to teach her?"

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt hugged him around the waist and kissed away a rogue tear from his cheek. "Our baby is perfect. And you're the perfect daddy to her. But we're not experts in child development. Maybe we just need a little help figuring it out. I wish I had known you felt like this so you didn't have to go through it alone."

Blaine wondered if he had ever loved Kurt more than he did just then. His husband always knew exactly what he needed to hear. He was so grateful for Kurt every single day of his life.

"So you think we should call that number?"

"I think we would be crazy not to. You're a great parent, Blaine. This doesn't mean you're anything less than fantastic." Kurt could see right through Blaine's hesitance.

Blaine finally smiled, kissing Kurt slowly and sweetly. "You are too. But you're an even better husband."

"Rachel said she'd keep Charlie for a few hours. That means we have the house to ourselves for once. What ever should we do?" He winked at Blaine.

The two locked eyes and excited smiles spread across their faces. At the same time they exclaimed, "naptime!"

* * *

Blaine and Kurt sat nervously on the floor behind Charlie as the girl who had evaluated her, Eleanor, went over the evaluation results with them.

Charlie had passed every area of development above her age level with flying colors, except for communication. She had tested a year behind in her speech and language skills.

A whole year behind. Instantly, guilt hit Kurt and Blaine, piling on top of what they were already feeling. Should they have called earlier? Would Charlie be talking by now if they had? What else could they have done to help her sooner?

Blaine pulled Charlie (who was happily stringing beads into a necklace) into his lap, and Kurt scooted closer to them, placing his hand on Blaine's lower back.

"What questions do you have for me?" Eleanor asked them when she finished reading the results of the assessment.

Blaine looked like he had a question on the tip of his tongue, but was holding it back. Kurt encouraged him to ask it with a soft squeeze to his side (Blaine would have called it a love handle, but Kurt would vehemently disagree).

"Is-Could Charlie's delay be genetic?" Blaine's voice was unsure.

Kurt's hand tightened further, trying to reassure Blaine and stop him from blaming himself again. He nudged Blaine's shoulder with his nose then quickly pecked both Blaine's shoulder and Charlie's head in quick succession.

Eleanor smiled knowingly. "Many toddlers have language delays, and the cause is unknown. Sometimes it's based on a genetic disorder, sometimes it's simply because the child doesn't have parents who talk to him or her enough, don't play, or don't read to him or her."

Kurt's heart sank. "I work a lot. I'm not here at dinnertime to talk to her, or at bedtime to read stories with her. Could that have contributed to it?"

It was Blaine's turn to comfort Kurt. He grabbed Kurt's hand and looked him in the eye.

"No, Kurt. You are wonderful with her. She loves you so much." Kurt tugged Blaine's hand to his cheek and gave him a grateful look.

Eleanor looked away, feeling as though she were intruding on a private moment. She cleared her throat, bringing the men back into the present.

"I have only had the privilege of spending an hour with the three of you," Eleanor began. "But I can already say without a doubt that I rarely see children who grow up with so much love surrounding them. To have two fathers who care for her so deeply, and who would do anything to help her grow, Charlie is luckier than most. The two of you provide her with everything she could ever need, and more. I know it's easy to focus on what's missing in situations like this, but I want to reiterate how many great skills and how much amazing support Charlie has. She is an incredibly smart little girl. But all children learn differently, and some just need a little bit of a push from a different direction. That's what I'm here for."

Both Kurt and Blaine breathed sighs of relief. They had been harboring much guilt about the kinds of fathers they had been, and had worried that because Charlie didn't talk, she would be seen as less in someone else's eyes. But this therapist seemed to understand them, and truly wanted to support them.

"So what can we do to help her?" Kurt was eager to get started.

"Since you asked…"

* * *

Working with Eleanor was the biggest blessing that the Hummel-Andersons could have asked for. She accepted their family without question, and unconditionally supported them in their quest to help Charlie speak. Eleanor let Kurt and Blaine know that although she might be the speech-language pathologist, they were the experts on Charlie. They were the ones who spent time with her every single day, and they were the ones who were going to be responsible for making the ultimate changes for her. Eleanor was just there to give them new ideas to help make those changes happen.

Kurt, though he now understood and accepted that his work schedule did not have anything to do with Charlie's language delay, attempted to be home more often (especially at bedtime), and always made sure to be present for their speech therapy sessions.

Blaine worked tirelessly with Charlie during the days and nights, constantly building learning opportunities into their everyday activities, and Kurt joined him in the mornings when he was home. They both invested so much time and energy into it that they were secretly Eleanor's favorite family to work with (as she would tell them a year later when she asked them to lead parent support groups).

Eleanor had recommended introducing sign language as a way for Charlie to communicate with them while she was learning to use spoken words, and Charlie blew them away with how quickly she picked up on the signs.

Over breakfast one morning, Kurt had forgotten to refill Charlie's drink. He and Blaine were sipping their morning coffees and laughing about Kurt's latest review on a Broadway blog when Charlie jumped down from her chair and came over to them. Her tiny hand tugged on their pant legs until she had their attention.

"What is it, baby?" Kurt squatted down to be at her eye level.

She brought her hands to her mouth and then her chest, signing "drink, please."

Blaine had to help Kurt to his feet, and they shared a happy squeal and quick hug before giving Charlie her milk. That night they celebrated their victory with a fancy dinner and a night alone in their house (definitely not napping this time).

That was the first of many times the little girl surprised her fathers. Within the span of a month, Charlie knew at least 20 signs and could use them and combine them together to communicate her wants and needs.

Eleanor had taught Kurt and Blaine to think of teaching Charlie to talk in terms of a bunch of small stepping stones on the way to the larger end goal. They taught her signs, and attempted to teach her to imitate by shortening words to single sounds that were accompanied by hand cues. Maybe Charlie couldn't say "ball," but the first time she said "buh" was enough to send her dads into fits of happy tears.

Blaine was constantly around and working with Charlie, and though he loved it and was amazing at it, Kurt started to realize just how tiring it was for him. Both men were becoming frustrated, too, that though Charlie was so good at signing, she still hadn't said any spoken words yet. Blaine needed a break. So Kurt took an unexpected day off (despite his husband's protests, but "that's what my standby is for, Blaine.") and told Blaine to take a day a for himself out of the house.

"No, I shouldn't. I need to be here to help Charlie learn. What would I even do, anyway?"

"Go to the gym. Have lunch with Santana. Sit in a coffee shop and do crossword puzzles for hours. Go shopping and buy me something nice. Do whatever you want. You deserve it, Blaine."

"Fine. You convinced me. But I would be much happier doing all of those things if you were with me." Blaine planted a sloppy kiss on Kurt's cheek.

Kurt grinned. "Me too. But Papa has to watch this little sweetheart," he patted Charlie on the head. "We will see you later, Daddy. Have fun!"

* * *

Blaine had to admit that Kurt was right ("What's new?" Kurt would have said if Blaine told him this). Having a day to himself to refresh and get back in tune with himself was exactly what he needed. He loved being a full time daddy to Charlie and was so thankful that Kurt's income allowed it, but it was tiring to never have a second for himself.

When he walked back through their apartment doors that afternoon completely rejuvenated, Charlie was nowhere to be found, but Kurt was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and his eyes looked suspiciously watery.

"What's wrong, Kurt?" Blaine rushed over to him. But he didn't have time to start formulating worst case scenarios in his head, because just then, Kurt smiled the biggest smile.

"We were just playing, and Charlie wanted my attention. You know how she does that adorable thing where she pats your leg when she wants you to look at her," they nodded fondly at each other. " But that's not what she did, Blaine. She said 'Pa!' She said my name, Blaine." Kurt dissolved into tears again.

Blaine didn't move from the spot where he stood.

Eventually, Kurt looked up to him with a question in his eyes.

"What is it? I thought you'd be shooting off confetti cannons or baking a cake right now!" Kurt laughed. "Come celebrate with me."

Blaine's face contorted with pain. "I should be. I know that I should be ecstatic. But there are all these other feelings overshadowing that happiness. I'm so selfish, Kurt." Then quieter, "I'm embarrassed by how I'm feeling."

Kurt patted the ground next to him, inviting Blaine to sit. Blaine ducked his head and leaned against the couch next to his husband, whose eyes held no trace of judgment.

"Tell me what's going on."

"I'm with her every day. She should have said my name first. I know that's a ridiculous thing to say, since she loves both of us equally. You even more than me, if we're being honest. But there's still a part of me…" Blaine gauged Kurt's reaction, but his face remained neutral, so Blaine continued. "And I knew I shouldn't have left today. I get out of the house for one day. One day, and you get her to say your name. What am I doing wrong that I can't get that out of her?"

Kurt just held Blaine as he let out his feelings.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine mumbled. "I know those things are ridiculous and selfish. And I am happy for her. I just wish I could have been there."

Kurt never invalidated Blaine's feelings. Instead, he just nodded and told Blaine, "You're right. It's not fair that you weren't there for her first word. But there will be so many more firsts that you _will_ be around for. You can't beat yourself up about this, Blaine. I've told you a hundred times how brilliant of a daddy you are to her, but never forget that we're a team. Everything we do, we do together." They shared a kiss. "Anyway, I bet Charlie will show off her new skills to you too," Kurt winked.

On cue, Charlie toddled out of her bedroom with a doll in her hand. Upon seeing her daddy home from his day out, she dropped the doll and ran toward him.

She jumped into Blaine's arms. "Da!"

Blaine nearly dropped her in surprise. "Did she just-?"

"Yes," Kurt squeaked, just as surprised.

Blaine recovered from his shock and hugged his daughter tightly, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Kurt," he breathed, looking at his husband, who was looking equally as emotional. Kurt stood and hugged the two of them lovingly.

"Pa!" Charlie shrieked happily.

"Hi baby girl," they said together through tears.

With his husband and his daughter in his arms, there was no place Blaine would rather be. All of the painstaking work they had put in was finally paying off. Charlie had just said her first words.

"You did it," Kurt beamed at him.

"No, _we_ did it."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I wanted to share this story because it is what I see every single day in my job. I love the families I work with as if they are my own.**

 **Short PSA...**

 **I cannot speak for other countries, but every state in America has an early intervention program. So if you or someone you know has an infant or toddler that isn't crawling or listening or eating or talking or walking or playing or learning like you would expect, PLEASE call. We want to hear from you.**

 **And major thank you to Gleeful Darren Criss Fan for reading it over for me. ;)**


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